Virtual School Questionnaire
Principals provide initial approval for the formation of the chapter, appoint the chapter adviser and members of the faculty council, and hear appeals. The national database of chapters must include the name of one individual to serve in this capacity for each chapter.
Is there a principal who can assume full responsibility for all actions and decisions of the chapter and fulfill all of the duties mentioned above and detailed in Article V of the NHS National Constitution?
A total of six (6) members of the school faculty are required to operate a chapter. This includes one (1) chapter adviser and five (5) members of the faculty council. Principals and assistant principals cannot serve in these capacities, nor can parents, volunteers, or non-certified school staff.
Are there faculty members (employed educators of your school) who can fill these roles?
Chapter advisers must have the ability to monitor the grades, service and leadership activities, and character of members.
In your virtual school environment, how will the adviser monitor standards and obligations? Does the school maintain a disciplinary record on students regarding cases that are handled by the school administration?
Character is one of the criteria for honor society membership, and must be accounted for in the written description of the chapter’s selection process (per Article 9, Section 4). Character can be evaluated in many ways – through faculty evaluations, teacher or external source recommendations, school discipline records, etc.
How will your virtual school chapter evaluate character?
Induction is required in order for candidates to become members. Typically, the induction "ceremony" is an event that requires candidates to attend in person and perform certain customs and traditions.
How will your school accommodate the "special ceremony" requirement under Article 8, Section 4 of the NHS National Constitution? Will your school be able to provide appropriate public recognition of new members?
Enrollment of one semester is required to establish eligibility for any student. Some students enrolled in virtual schools are dual-enrolled in more traditional schools, which conceivably allows for the possibility of dual membership. However, members can only belong to one chapter at a time, and if dismissed from one cannot join another.
How will your school ensure that members are not dual-enrolled in other schools and do not have dual membership in the Honor Society?
Home school students are not eligible for NHS membership unless they are enrolled in a school maintaining an active chapter (usually as a part-time student). Some students enrolled in virtual learning are also home schooled full-time. If the school accepts home school grades, then those grades are not from accredited schools as required in Article 4, Section 1 of the NHS National Constitution. Similarly, if the home school student is not obtaining his or her diploma from the school where the chapter exists (versus a student who is part-time enrolled but is earning his or her diploma from the school), then eligibility may not be possible.
How will your school determine eligibility for membership?
The NHS National Constitution (Article X, Section 4) requires a due process hearing in all cases of pending dismissal. This provides each member an opportunity to speak on his or her own behalf. The NHS national office interprets this hearing as a "face-to-face meeting" with the council, except where the member voluntarily chooses to submit a written statement.
How will your school guarantee this important right to due process for all its members?
With a virtual environment, and in some cases with students in different time zones, it may be hard to schedule chapter meetings to discuss ideas and plan activities.
How will your virtual school coordinate meetings of the chapter?
Each chapter is required to sponsor one or more service projects during the year, and, in addition, each member must perform individual service.
How does your virtual school propose to meet this service obligation? How do you propose to monitor and verify individual service?
If a member resigns or is dismissed, he or she must return all items that feature honor society emblems, such as honor cords, stoles, membership pins, and membership cards.
How will your chapter ensure that dismissed/resigned members or members not in good standing do not keep and wear stoles or honor cords at a traditional graduation ceremony?
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